The European Parliament (http://www.independent.co.uk/topic/EuropeanParliament) has voted to end visa-free travel for Americans within the EU.It comes after the US failed to agree visa-free travel for citizens of five EU countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania – as part of a reciprocity agreement. US citizens can normally travel to all countries in the bloc without a visa.
The vote urges the revocation of the scheme within two months, meaning Americans will have to apply for extra documents for 12 months after the European Commission (http://www.independent.co.uk/topic/european-commission) implements a “delegated act” to bring the change into effect.
The Commission discovered three years ago that the US was not meeting its obligations under the reciprocity agreement but has not yet taken any legal action.

The latest vote, prepared by the civil liberties committee and approved by a plenary session of parliament, gives the Commission two months to act before MEPs can consider action in the European Court of Justice.
Australia (http://www.independent.co.uk/topic/Australia), Brunei, Japan and Canada were also failing in their obligations, but all four have lifted, or are soon to lift, any visa restrictions on travel for EU citizens.

The Commission is legally obliged to act to suspend the visa waiver for Americans, but the European Parliament or the Council of the European Union have the chance to object to the “delegated act” it uses to do so.
In December, MEPs pressed for the move in order to “encourage” Washington to play its part, according to a statement by the parliament.
But Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos warned of “consequences”, including potential “retaliation” and a drop in visitor numbers precipitating substantial losses for the continent’s tourism industry.
(http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/brexit-house-of-lords-theresa-may-brexit-bill-eu-nationals-a7608061.html)
Just days ago the Council said it would liberalise the visa regime for citizens of Georgia travelling into the EU.
Georgians can now, subject to final approval of the regulation, stay in any EU country for 90 days in any period of 180 days without needing a visa.
Carmelo Abela, Malta’s minister for national security, said: “This agreement will bring the people of Georgia and the EU closer together and will strengthen tourism and business ties. It follows the completion of the necessary reforms by Georgia, addressing document security, border management, migration and asylum.”

Last month it was reported that the EU was considering the adoption of a US-style electronic travel permit scheme (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-visa-travel-to-eu-electronic-scheme-esta-uk-british-tourists-robert-goodwill-a7594521.html) – a move that could create a new administrative hurdle for British tourists after Brexit (http://www.independent.co.uk/topic/brexit).

Immigration minister Robert Goodwill told Parliament the EU was discussing the possibility of introducing a version of America’s Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).

Currently foreign travellers must pay a fee of $14 (£11) when they complete ESTA, an automated online system that determines their eligibility to travel to the US.

“British people are now used to the US ESTA scheme and, therefore, we view with interest how the European scheme might develop and what similarities, and differences, there may be to the US scheme,” Mr Goodwill said.

“This type of scheme is generally there to help enhance security. To get to know as much as possible about the people who are intending to travel.

“It isn’t just flights, it could be people using ferries, or other border crossings into the European Union.”
Alan Brown, an SNP member of the European Scrutiny Committee, pointed out that Leave advocates in the referendum campaign had said there would be no need for visa-like travel schemes after Brexit.

Until the European Parliament makes another decision, that is either pending or suspended for the time being. It was sort of a warning shot across the bow.

John of Phoenix

05-23-2017, 12:36 PM

More of the same crap from the troll. Took me one search to find this.

E.U. Sets Aside Calls to End Visa-Free Travel for Americans

By SEWELL CHAN (https://www.nytimes.com/by/sewell-chan)
MAY 2, 2017
Continue reading the main story (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/world/europe/eu-visas-united-states.html#story-continues-1)

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2017/05/03/world/03eu-visas/03eu-visas-master768.jpg
Credit Annie Tritt for The New York Times
The flight deck of a Norwegian Air jet at Kennedy Airport in January.

Citizens of five nations in the European Union — Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania — need visas to travel to the United States.CreditAnnie Tritt for The New York Times

The European Commission (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_commission/index.html?inline=nyt-org) said on Tuesday that it would not start requiring Americans to obtain visas for travel to the European Union (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_union/index.html?inline=nyt-org), at least for now.
Right now, United States citizens generally do not need visas to enter any of the union’s 28 member nations, but citizens of five of those nations — Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania — need visas to travel to the United States.

That disparity has been the subject of a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Brussels that threatened to escalate in March, when theEuropean Parliament (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_parliament/index.html?inline=nyt-org) asked the commission, the bloc’s executive body (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/world/europe/eu-visas-parliament-united-states.html), to retaliate by ending visa-free travel to Europe for Americans.

The Parliament’s resolution was nonbinding, and the commission said Tuesday that it would not comply with the request. Doing so “would be counterproductive at this moment, and would not serve the objective of achieving visa-free travel for all E.U. citizens,” it said.

LeeG

05-23-2017, 03:05 PM

Look what you did John, you just ended RPs "discussion".

John of Phoenix

05-23-2017, 03:14 PM

You're welcome.

:D LMAO :D

Rum_Pirate

05-23-2017, 04:33 PM

More of the same crap from the troll. Took me one search to find this.

E.U. Sets Aside Calls to End Visa-Free Travel for Americans

By SEWELL CHAN (https://www.nytimes.com/by/sewell-chan)
MAY 2, 2017

Citizens of five nations in the European Union — Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania — need visas to travel to the United States.CreditAnnie Tritt for The New York Times

The European Commission (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_commission/index.html?inline=nyt-org) said on Tuesday that it would not start requiring Americans to obtain visas for travel to the European Union (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_union/index.html?inline=nyt-org), at least for now*.
Right now, United States citizens generally do not need visas to enter any of the union’s 28 member nations, but citizens of five of those nations — Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania — need visas to travel to the United States.

That disparity has been the subject of a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Brussels that threatened to escalate in March, when theEuropean Parliament (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_parliament/index.html?inline=nyt-org) asked the commission, the bloc’s executive body (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/world/europe/eu-visas-parliament-united-states.html), to retaliate by ending visa-free travel to Europe for Americans.

The Parliament’s resolution was nonbinding, and the commission said Tuesday that it would not comply with the request. Doing so “would be counterproductive at this moment, and would not serve the objective of achieving visa-free travel for all E.U. citizens,” it said.

Well done John, thanks for finding that.

It is good when you contribute for the benefit for all on the forum. Y>

* "at least for now"

CWSmith

05-23-2017, 04:36 PM

I must admit it will not bother me if the EU does to the US what the US does to the EU.

Hugh Conway

05-23-2017, 05:11 PM

I must admit it will not bother me if the EU does to the US what the US does to the EU. It'll bother me. Because it'll inconvenience me, directly, and what we did to them was stupid.

genglandoh

05-23-2017, 06:08 PM

The EU member states that are required to have a visa to visit the US have been complaining about it since 2010.
Obama even promised Poland that he would change it but he did not.

Title: DECEMBER 8, 2010- Obama: Poland will be admitted to the visa waiver program
Score one for Warsaw. President Barack Obama promised Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on Wednesday that Poland would be admitted to the State Departmentís visa waiver program, a concession to Poland that also fulfills a key GOP senatorís demand for his vote to ratify the New START treaty.
Link: http://foreignpolicy.com/2010/12/08/obama-poland-will-be-admitted-to-the-visa-waiver-program/

Title: 04/08/16 - US won't add countries to visa-free travel list despite EU threat
The Obama administration wonít consider expanding the list of countries whose citizens can enter the United States without a visa even as European Union officials consider revoking visa-free travel for Americans.
The State Department on Friday told reporters that the administration would not consider allowing five EU nations into the group of 38 countries allowed to travel visa-free to the U.S. unless they first met a series of standards.
Link: http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/275645-no-change-in-us-visa-scheme-despite-threat-from-eu